Mthethwa held a briefing about the Strategy and Tactics document presented to delegates at the ANC’s policy conference.

Mthethwa says now is the time for the ANC to reclaim lost ground and reconnect with the people.

Mthethwa says forming a coalition has not been on the agenda.

“The ANC has to get its house in order for its own good, we don’t believe we should be preoccupying ourselves with coalitions.”

He says it’s in the ANC’s hands to increase support before the general elections by reclaiming lost ground and reconnecting with the people.

COALITION WOULD BE SELF-DEFEATING

Mthethwa says the ANC has not discussed forming a coalition mainly because doing so would be self-defeating.

He says the ANC knows its weaknesses and acknowledges that part of the reason it lost major cities in the local government election is because the party didn’t fully address these problems.

“And what we are saying is that it’s in our hands, if we want to be partial about it, the possibility is that we will partially lose support.”

At the same time, Mthethwa says the themes of the ANC’s strategy document are organisational renewal and integrity to ensure the party continues to build a national democratic society with the ANC at the helm.

Mthethwa says political freedom alone is hollow and since the ANC has defeated racial depression the party must now focus on economic freedom.

He says at the heart of the ANC’s strategy and tactics document is the party’s call for a second transition phase that requires more focus on radical economic transformation of the country.

He says this paradigm shift from political emancipation to economic freedom recognises that the ANC’s task is the renewal of the organisation.

Mthethwa says the ANC has achieved political freedom and therefore it’s had to add to its strategy document because so much has happened since 1994.

“Let’s look within this transition, and the second phase of transition, we asserted that it is about radical socio-economic transformation. And the strategy and tactics this time around is getting into detail on the challenges we are faced with.”

Mthethwa says he’s aware there is both co-operation and contestation towards monopoly capital.

He says it’s a fallacy to believe that white monopoly capital doesn’t exist.

“Monopoly capital, our attitude should not change. And what is also not going to change is to understand that monopoly capital is the content we are dealing with emanating from our understanding on the colonialism of a special type and out of that the form in South Africa takes race.”

He’s also emphasised that the ANC needs to reclaim lost ground and reconnect with the people.